Veteran rally driver Giancarlo Davite and co-driver Matteo Davite claimed victory in the GMT Sprint Musha Rally on Saturday, setting the pace ahead of the main GMT Musha Rally in Rwamagana District.

Driving a Mitsubishi Evo X, the duo completed the four special stages in 56 minutes and 18 seconds, finishing comfortably ahead of the field in the opening round of competition.

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The sprint event served as a mandatory qualifying stage under the revised rally format introduced by organisers for the 2026 GMT Musha Rally. Crews tackled four timed stages across the Musha and Bicaca sections, with the results determining the starting order for the main rally.

Claude Gakwaya and co-driver Claude Mugabo finished second overall in their Subaru Impreza, posting a total time of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 32 seconds. Claude Kwizera and Ange François Cyatangabo secured third place after completing the course in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 1 second.

Eric Gakwaya and co-driver Aurore Kayibanda finished fourth, while Queen Kalimpinya and co-driver Alain Gasarabwe rounded out the top five with a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 15 seconds.

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A total of 10 crews initially entered the event, but only six were classified in the final standings after the remaining teams failed to complete all four stages.

Beyond the battle for victory, the sprint rally provided competitors with an opportunity to fine-tune their cars and preparations ahead of upcoming regional competitions.

Attention now turns to the 2026 Rwanda Mountain Gorilla Rally, which is scheduled to take place from July 10–12.